KANSAS CITY, Mo¡ªMidwestern Seminary celebrated the June 3 release of President Jason K. ´¡±ô±ô±ð²Ô¡¯²õ latest book, Letters to My Students, Volume 3: On Life and Doctrine, with B&H.
Focusing on 10 key doctrines and disciplines, ´¡±ô±ô±ð²Ô¡¯²õ new book offers wisdom to current and aspiring ministry leaders for guarding the integrity of their gospel witness in their personal, spiritual, and pastoral lives.
¡°In this book, I¡¯m targeting our current ministry moment and the challenges before those who serve Christ¡¯s church,¡± Allen writes in the introduction. ¡°These doctrines are key for a faithful ministry and for our own faithfulness in this present ministry age.¡±
The new volume follows two previous installments in ´¡±ô±ô±ð²Ô¡¯²õ Letters to My Students series: On Preaching, published in 2019, and On Pastoring, published in 2021. On Life and Doctrine takes its title from 1 Timothy 4:16, where Paul instructs the young pastor, Timothy, ¡°Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching.¡±
Allen noted the priority of this charge for ministers today, who face various pressures from contemporary culture and the realities of ministry in a fallen world.
Echoing Paul¡¯s promise in 1 Timothy 4:16, Allen points to the eternal impact of guarding one¡¯s life and doctrine, writing, ¡°Rightly knowing, believing, and proclaiming the gospel is essential for salvation, on both the teaching and receiving end.¡±
The first five chapters highlight the foundational importance of doctrine, addressing key doctrines including Scripture¡¯s inerrancy and sufficiency, Christ¡¯s exclusivity, God¡¯s sovereignty, and man¡¯s nature. In these chapters, Allen shows the centrality of these doctrines to the Christian faith and warns against the dangers of compromising them.
¡°Ministers are not to just live out these biblical truths but are to articulate and advocate them,¡± Allen writes. ¡°To do so is to love our flock¡ªand our neighbor. Much depends on the minister¡¯s faithfulness in this regard: the integrity of our witness, the wholeness of our families, the strength of our churches, and, more broadly, the health of our society.¡±
The remaining five chapters focus on matters of practical wisdom to help pastors and ministry leaders protect their character and carry out their God-given responsibilities at home and at church. In these chapters, Allen addresses spiritual disciplines, shepherding one¡¯s family, cherishing the local church, leading oneself, and enduring in preaching.
Reflecting on the benefit of such practices, Allen writes, ¡°We don¡¯t just want to survive long-term or endure in ministry long-term, we want to flourish. We want to be found faithful.¡±
´¡±ô±ô±ð²Ô¡¯²õ Letters to My Students series was inspired by Charles H. Spurgeon¡¯s book Lectures to My Students, which compiles ministry wisdom that Spurgeon originally gave to the students at his pastor¡¯s college during weekly lectures. Allen commends Spurgeon¡¯s book for its formative influence on ´¡±ô±ô±ð²Ô¡¯²õ own preparation for ministry.
Sharing his hopes for the series, Allen writes, ¡°I¡¯m inquisitive by nature; and as a new minister, I was especially so. Thankfully, I had a couple of mentors who answered my queries and pointed me to others who could do the same.¡±
Through the series, Allen aims to pass along this investment for the next generation. He adds, ¡°In my role as a seminary president, I¡¯m giving my life to equipping those called by God for more faithful and effective ministry.¡±
The new volume is dedicated to six men who have served as chairmen on Midwestern Seminary¡¯s board of trustees during ´¡±ô±ô±ð²Ô¡¯²õ years as president.
Allen shared, ¡°Each one of these men have helped me guard my life and doctrine. For that and so much more, I remain eternally grateful.¡±
is available now from B&H Publishing and wherever books are sold.
